Symbol changing device



May 28, 1963 B. H. ADLER 3,

SYMBOL CHANGING DEVICE Filed April 7, 1958 mummy;

INVENTOR, 551v JAM/N H- ADL ER;

/ A TTORNEY United States Patent 3,091,491 SYMBOL CHANGING DEVICE Benjamin H. Adler, 11843 W. Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, Calif. Filed Apr. 7, 1958, Ser. No. 726,981 2 Claims. (Cl. 294-22) The present invention relates to a device for changing symbols, such as letters, numerals, and the like, on a display sign. It is quite common for motion picture theatres to provide illuminated signs, the letters appearing on the signs being changeable in accordance with the particular photoplay being shown within the theatre at a given time. It has been found that it is ofttimes ditficult to change the letters, or to shift the position thereof. It may require more than one man to effectively change letters on the sign, or a single operator may find it difiicult to employ various devices now on the market and used for removing and replacing the letters of a sign.

It should be remembered that the average sign is at an elevation above the ground, which requires that the workmen utilize a ladder in order to gain access to the sign and likewise that the workmen utilize some instrumentality for removing and replacing the letters. Devices for the removal and replacement of letters on such a display sign have not proved entirely satisfactory due to difiicul-ty in the manipulation of such a device by a single workman, in that the letter is not always gripped by the device in a positive manner, nor when so gripped, permits easy manipulation of the device.

An object of my invention is to provide a device for changing symbols on a sign which is easily manipulated, positive in its action, will not damage or mar the letters being gripped, and which is generally superior to devices now known to the inventor.

Further objects include a letter changing device of simple construction, inexpensive in cost of manufacture, and foolproof in operation.

With the above-mentioned and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel and useful provision, formation, construction, association, and relative arrangement of parts, members and features, all as shown in one embodiment in the accompanying drawing, described generally, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary, perspective view of the invention shown gripping a letter,

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the device of the invention, shown partly in fragment,

FIGURE 3 is a partially sectional, top plan view of the device of the invention, and on an enlarged scale from the showing of FIGURES 1 and 2,

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 5 is :a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale, and taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 2, and,

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 4, and on an enlarged scale.

Referring now to the drawing, I provide a pair of telescopic tubes, the outer one of which is designated as 1, and the inner tube as 2. The inner tube 2 extends beyond one end of the outer tube 1, as shown at 3. The outer tube 1 is :arcuately cut away at 4 at one end thereof. Secured to the tube .2 at the extended portion 3 thereof, and extending transversely to said portion is an arm 5 of extended length, which arm is provided with fingers 6 and 7, which are transverse to the arm 5. In the present instance, the arm 5 extends beyond the attachment portion for the fingers 6 and 7, as shown at 8. Preferably,

the said fingers are angularly related, which is to say that the fingers 6 and 7 are at an obtuse angle, while the intermediate or extended finger 8 of arm 5 is at an obtuse angle to said arm relative to the point of joinder of the fingers 6 and 7. While the said fingers are shown as straight, it is obvious that they may be arcuate longitudinally. All of the fingers are covered with resilient sleeves, so as to prevent the tubing from marlin-g objects gripped thereby.

The outermost tube 1 is provided with an arm 9 which is structurally bent for a portion so as to bring its linger carrying portion into alignment with the finger carrying portion of arm 5. Thus, one end of arm 9 is secured to tube 1 at 10 in any suitable manner, such as by welding, and the same arm 9, at its outer end, is provided with fingers =11, 12, and 13. These fingers are in obtuse angle relationship and provided with resilient sleeves. The three fingers carried by :each arm provide an inner con cavity, the conoavities of the two arms being in facing relationship to provide a clawd-ike grip on any object engaged by the fingers.

To manipulate the arms 5 and 9, to cause approach or separation thereof, I provide handle portions for the two tubes and wherein the outer tube 1 is provided with an extended arm or straight handle portion .14 which may be suitably covered by a resilient sleeve 15, while the tube 2 is provided with a U-shaped arm or handle 16, one end of which is welded or otherwise secured to said tube 2, as shown at 17, within the segmental cutout 4 of tube 1.

I accomplish several desired results by the construction just described. Firstly, the tubes 1 and 2 are prevented from axial shifting by the present construction, in that the arm 5 prevents tube 2 from moving in one direction within tube '1 while the joinder of arm 16 to tube 2, within the segmental cutout 4, prevents movement of tube 2 within tube 1 in an opposite direction. Hence, the :two tubes are held against relative axial shifting. A second desired feature of the present invention is the elimination of all springs for causing separation or approach of the arms 5 land 9, and this is accomplished by the fact that handle 16, due to its U-shaped construction, has greater weight than the handle 14 and will cause relative rotation between the two tubes 1 and 2 when the device is held in a certain position.

The operation, uses and advantages of the invention just described are as follows:

It may be remarked that the U-shaped returned end of arm 16 acts as a guard for the fingers of the hand. As shown in FIGURE 1, the palm of the hand receives the arm 14 and the fingers then grip arm 16 and specifically that portion which is directly connected to the tube 2. By the simple manipulation of opening and closing the fingers, the arms are caused to approach or separate either under gravity, depending on how the device is held, or by the fingers striking the guard portion, which is the portion 18 of arm 16. It will be noted that the heaviest arm 16 revolves the arm 5, as both arms are connected to the inner tube 2. When the operators hand causes approach of the two handle portions, the fingers carried by arms 5 and 9 may grip therebetween a letter, such as letter D shown in FIGURE 1, without any damage to the letter, as the shape of the fingers and the angularity given thereto, permits the said fingers to curve around the letters and, therefore, permit easy manipulation of the letters. In actual practice it has been found that use of the invention is such as to permit a one man operation. When the device of the invention is held in the position shown in FIGURE 1, the tendency for the handle 18 is to swing downwardly under gravity and cause separation of the arms 5 and 9' and their associated fingers at all times. Hence, the operator need only close the hand to cause the fingers carried by arms 5 and 9 to approach for the purpose of gripping an object, such as a letter. The operator does not have additional forces to overcome such as might occur if a spring was utilized for causing approach of the fingers. It is evident that, by turning the wrist of the hand, gravity may be utilized to both cause approach of the fingers of the two arms 5 and 9 or to cause separation of said fingers, with the result that fatigue to the operator is, in a measure, overcome. The fingers 6 and 7 are so positioned as to balance the arms and make gripping of an object, such as a letter, more positive.

I claim:

1. In a device for changing the symbols on a motion picture display sign, an outer elongated tube having a transverse handle at its lower end and an arm at its upper end, an inner telescoped member of about the same length as the tube held against axial movement Within the tube but having free movement within a limited angle of rotation and having at its lower end a transverse U- shaped handle and at its upper end an arm cooperating with the first-mentioned arm to approach each other when the two handles are moved together, symbol engaging members at the ends of the two arms, concaved inwardly to provide a claw-like grip, said U-shaped handle on the inner telescoped member having its two parallel portions spaced to receive the fingers of the operator between them, whereby when the first handle is supported in the palm of the operators hand the U-shaped handle may be moved nearer or farther away by pressure of the fingers against a chosen one or the other of the two spaced parallel portions of the second handle with a consequent closing or opening of the two grasping arms.

2. The device of claim 1, in which the second handle is heavier than the first handle so that when the latter is held loosely in the palm of the user, the arm on the inner telescoped member will more readily freely swing toward or away from the other arm as determined by the angle of tilt of the entire device, whereby the operator may move the symbol engaging members on the tubecarried arm against a letter or other symbol and bring the other symbol engaging member into light contact with the symbol by gravity before moving his fingers into contact with the nearer of the two parallel portions of the U-shaped handle to clutch the symbol, and by touching lightly the remaining parallel portion with the knuckle side of his fingers the operator may open the arms, thus avoiding the use of a spring in the device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 232,977 Judson Oct. 5, 1880 632,330 Wright Sept. 5, 1899 1,247,918 Winters Nov. 27, 1917 1,364,399 Moore Jan. 4, 1921 1,692,077 Cochran Nov. 20, 1928 2,135,232 Dawn Nov. 1, 1938 2,503,430 Baribault Apr. 11, 1950 2,616,741 Ziese Nov. 4, 1952 2,706,921 Paulson Apr. 26, 1955 

1. IN A DEVICE FOR CHANGING THE SYMBOLS ON A MOTION PICTURE DISPLAY SIGN, AN OUTER ELONGATED TUBE HAVING A TRANSVERSE HANDLE AT ITS LOWER END AND AN ARM AT ITS UPPER END, AN INNER TELESCOPED MEMBER OF ABOUT THE SAME LENGTH AS THE TUBE HELD AGAINST AXIAL MOVEMENT WITHIN THE TUBE BUT HAVING FREE MOVMENT WITHIN A LIMITED ANGLE OF ROTATION AND HAVING AT ITS LOWER END A TRANSVERSE USHAPED HANDLE AND AT ITS UPPER END AN ARM COOPERATING WITH THE FIRST-MENTIONED ARM TO APPROACH EACH OTHER WHEN THE TWO HANDLES ARE MOVED TOGETHER, SYMBOL ENGAGING MEMBERS AT THE ENDS OF THE TWO ARMS, CONCAVED INWARDLY TO PROVIDE A CLAW-LIKE GRIP, SAID U-SHAPED HANDLE ON THE INNER TELESCOPED MEMBER HAVING ITS TWO PARALLEL PORTIONS SPACED TO RECEIVE THE FINGERS OF THE OPERATOR BE- 